Suboxone Controversy: Brattleboro Reformer gets a C

In their story about buprenorphine, Suboxone, and opioid dependence, the Brattleboro Reformer gets it about 60% right.   They describe the shortage of physicians certified to treat addicts with buprenorphine, correctly identifying most of the diversion of buprenorphine as desperate attempts at self-treatment.  They lose points, though, for allowing an ill-informed legislator to suggest getting rid of buprenorphine altogether, without pointing to the example of Georgia, the former USSR republic, where the ban on buprenorphine resulted in the birth of krokodil, a nightmare drug now found in parts of the US.
Cost concerns
The story makes a big deal of the costs spent on buprenorphine by state medicaid agencies, but fails to identify the reasons for such high costs—and the simple measures that would lower them.  For years, state medicaids have insisted that all covered patients take Suboxone Film, the most expensive form of buprenorphine, costing over $8 per dose.  Claims that the film is harder to abuse rely on faulty science and false assumptions.   If state medicaids allowed treatment of opioid dependence using generic buprenorphine, costs would be reduced by 75%– not taking into account volume discounts.
That Suboxone film and generic buprenorphine are identical from an abuse standpoint requires a fresh look at the data by people who understand neurochemistry, and who understand the scientific method.  Given the costs involved, one would think that at least on...

Source: Suboxone Talk Zone - March 8, 2014 Category: Addiction Authors: J T Junig Tags: Addiction Buprenorphine Public policy Suboxone treatment cost of suboxone film patient cap on suboxone safety of buprenorphine and suboxone suboxone regulation Source Type: blogs